


(Im)Perfect Lives

by Avalon_Rhapsodos



Series: Fool's Existences [3]
Category: Persona 3, Persona 4, Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: But maybe it's just me LOL, M/M, Multi, This one feels kind of meh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-20
Updated: 2018-09-20
Packaged: 2019-07-14 15:03:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16042877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Avalon_Rhapsodos/pseuds/Avalon_Rhapsodos
Summary: Souji's never been good at keeping things in order. Work, life, romance, stress...none of it's been his forte. Maybe sometimes things get pushed a little too far.





	(Im)Perfect Lives

**Author's Note:**

> AGH I've been rattling this around in my brain for so long and I'm not even sure I like how it's written. But it's out there, so blech. This was always meant to be a bunch of AU stuff, so the next one I write probably won't be in this 'verse, whatever the hell it is (Is it canon compliant to an extent? A no Persona AU? I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS CONSISTENCY!) and will be their own things. Still the same series, still revolving around this ship, but not necessarily this domesticity.

Souji rubbed at his temples in an attempt to stave of his headache and finish this damn paperwork. He'd been swamped for the better part of two weeks now because of it, barely even able to spend time with his lovers, and the only thing he had to show for it was the sheets scattered around the living room table and a throbbing creeping up in the back of his head. No less than four empty cups of coffee circled him around the floor and reminded him of just how long he'd been at this.

Heavy weight settled against his back and prompted him to turn around to find Minato sitting on the chair, feet propped up against his spine, eating a plate of curry that Akira had obviously made and staring intently at the TV in front of him. If he noticed the death glare that Souji was giving him he ignored it in favor of focusing on the show instead. A few moments later Akira appeared in the living room to set a plate and more coffee down beside him without a word, settling in on the couch and curling in to Minato's side.

“You two aren't giving me the silent treatment because I'm busy are you? Because that's low,” Souji pointed out as he returned back to the work in front of him. Minato shifted around a bit and Souji found a third foot shoved into his back. “And I-”

“We aren't giving you the silent treatment, we're giving you silence. You've been busy, we didn't want to talk and distract you,” Akira answered. Even as he spoke he kept his voice low, like he didn't want to bother Souji. “Are our feet bothering you? We just wanted to be able to touch you while you worked.”

“No, your feet aren't bothering me. You can touch me while I'm working you know. Hell, I can talk and work at the same time,” he answered harshly. He felt Akira flinch against his back and withdraw his foot, and guilt settled deep into Souji's gut. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap.”

“It's fine,” Akira whispered and immediately went silent. Minato sighed and pushed his feet forward so Souji would be forced to lean forward with them.

“Don't be so harsh on him. We're trying to help. You say you can talk and work at the same time but you always get distracted when we try. So we're not gonna talk to you until you finish your work,” Minato said. “Once you're done we can blow a whole day together and call it even.”

“I...” Souji fell quiet suddenly, staring down into the plate of curry in front of him. Minato was right. He would always get distracted, which would make the work take longer, and he always seemed to be even more frustrated afterwards. When that load of paperwork was finished he would always take on another one and put himself even further behind schedule for...anything. He couldn't count the number of times that Souji had been forced to cancel a date night with either Akira or Minato or both of them because he couldn't get out from under the work. “...I'm sorry I'm busy all the time. I promise I'll catch up soon.”

“It's fine. We aren't upset with you. You're moving up after all! Maybe one day in a few years you'll have a secretary to take care of all of that for you,” Akira said with a smile, Minato humming in agreement and finally digging in to the food in his lap.

Akira had a point, but...Souji didn't _want_ to wait 'a few years' to finally be able to have his life back. He wanted to be able to say “I'm home!” and be able to take spontaneous trips and...not have to listen to silence in his own damn apartment because his boyfriends knew he would need quiet to work. There were plenty of times he remembered walking into the the living room and finding Minato curled up with a book or Akira playing some sort of game, noticing him, and immediately clearing out to give him space with a kiss and the occasional “Love you.” It hurt.

“Oh right! Rise messaged me, she said she would be having a concert here in the city. I figured we could go and see her. She's got two VIP tickets for us,” Akira said suddenly. Souji frowned and raised his head in confusion.

Only two? There were three of them though.

“Great. When's the date? I can take an evening off for it,” Minato said. His feet began to rub small little circles in Souji's back absently. “We can facetime Souji for a few minutes before the concert. When does it start?”

“I think it starts when we would be eating dinner. Souji, do you need one of us to make you dinner that night?” Souji turned around completely now to glare at Minato and Akira.

“Why would I need one of you to make me dinner? And why wasn't I included in these plans?” he asked. Akira's eyes dropped to the side, his plate and spoon slowly settling into his lap.

“You're busy. I wasn't sure if you were going to be too busy to make yourself dinner that night,” he said quietly. “And...because you're always busy I didn't think you'd be able to make it to the concert. So I told Rise it would just be myself and Minato.” He shuffled around awkwardly on the couch before standing up and muttering, “I'm not hungry anymore” before walking into the kitchen. Minato got a good look and realized Akira had only eaten about half of his food.

“Akira wait, you need to eat more!” Souji watched as Minato chased after Akira, unable to hear their conversation in the kitchen, sticking him alone with his thoughts and no support.

They didn't make plans with him because he was always too busy to spend time with them. Akira offered to make dinner that night for him because he didn't want Souji being forced to stop just so he could make food...

A sudden very painful realization hit Souji. Akira and Minato did so much for him without even being asked. He couldn't remember the last time he had been asked to do laundry or dishes or clean up the living room or...hell, even clean something. He hadn't cooked in months, and the last time he had it had been for Akira's birthday celebration two days early because he couldn't get time off for Akira's actual birthday.

Fuck. Akira's birthday had passed. Minato's was only two weeks later, and he didn't remember doing anything that night. Was that the night Akira and Minato both went to dinner and a movie? Had Souji even gotten either of them a present? Had he even wished Minato a happy birthday?

How much longer until one or even both of them left him?

He set his pen down and quietly began gathering up the countless papers that littered the table he sat at. Once they were all neatly stacked up together and in order, as they should be, he gathered his plate up to carry into the kitchen, finding Akira with his face shoved up underneath Minato's chin and very obviously trying to hold back tears. When Souji stepped in Akira immediately swallowed down whatever he was about to say and began wiping at his face.

“I'm sorry Souji. I should have asked you, it was real shitty of me not to, you're just always busy and-”

“Tell Rise we'll need three tickets.” Souji very gently set his plate down on the kitchen table and pulled Akira into an almost painfully tight hug. “And don't make plans for tomorrow evening. The three of us are going out for dinner together.”

“But your work...”

“Fuck work.” Akira jumped just a little bit in surprise at hearing Souji swear like that and pulled away to stare up at him. “I'd rather just be a trophy husband than work myself to death and never see you two again. I can find another job, that won't be hard. I can't find another one of you two.” From his side Minato chuckled and reached over to pat Souji's shoulder gently.

“Normally I would say you're incredibly stupid for choosing a relationship over a career, but you aren't wrong in saying you can't find another one of us. We're special, after all,” he said and kissed Souji's cheek. “Akira and I will take up a bit of extra work to cover you until you find a better job love. And it'll be nice for neither of us to have to cook for once.”

“I'm sorry for that. I'm sorry I've been too busy to even spend time with you two lately. I'm sorry I put my sanity at the bottom of the list and left you two to pick everything up for me. I'll be a lot better. I promise. I swear it this time.” He kissed the top of Akira's curls and let a hand begin to run through them. “I love you both very much. I hope you can forgive me for being an idiot.”

“Of course we can,” Akira laughed weakly. “We aren't expecting you to have everything together at this point after all. We all make mistakes. Even Minato does sometimes.”

“Hush it kid, I don't know what you're talking about,” Minato laughed and moved over to settle down in one of the kitchen chairs. “Now why don't we all sit down and enjoy an actual meal together for once?”

“That sounds amazing.”

Things weren't going to be easy, obviously. But Souji had a good suspicion that they would work out in the end. The three of them had always had that knack after all. Why should now be any different?


End file.
